New Work and Then Some
Winsor Gallery, Vancouver Canada, 2010
The colour red dominates Dana Claxton’s new show at Winsor Gallery. It signifies a sacred colour to the Sioux people and, more colloquially, it evokes “Red Power”, contemporary burlesque, and Western notions of sexuality. Both overtly and slyly, Claxton calls up historical references, including the colonial subjugation of aboriginal peoples, the American Indian Movement of the 1970s, and Sioux visions and creation myths.
While walking the Straight through her show, the Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist speaks about the ideas behind the works on view—and the striking fact that this is the first time she has exhibited her art in a commercial gallery. Despite the political nature of the large-scale photos, declassified documents, and single-channel video on offer, it is an elegant fit. Her works first seduce us with their beauty and amuse us with their humour, then thump us on the chest with their declarations of agency and identity.
The Mustang Suite: Daddy's Gotta New Ride, 2008
The Mustang Suite: Baby Boyz Gotta Indian Pony, 2008
Paint Up #1, 2009
Paint Up #1, 2009
Paint Up #1, 2009
The Mustang Suite: Momma Has a Pony …(girl named History and sets her free), 2008
The Mustang Suite, 2008
The Mustang Suite: Baby Girlz Gotta Mustang
Onto the Red Road (2006), AIM #1, #2, #3, and #4 (2009)
Onto the Red Road, 2006
Onto the Red Road, 2006
AIM #1 and #4, 2010
AIM #1 and #4, 2010
AIM #3 and #2, 2010
AIM #3 and #2, 2010